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In case you're confused, Art Pope did indeed stage a hostile corporate takeover in North Carolina

Submitted by James on Sat, 11/10/2012 - 08:01

How one privileged asshole finally got his way. From Facing South. Excerpt below the fold.

As Facing South and The New Yorker showed, in 2010 an onslaught of outside spending in North Carolina by outside money groups led by Republican donor Art Pope was a key factor in fueling a historic GOP takeover of the state legislature.

That put N.C. Republicans in charge of the once-a-decade redistricting process, producing new maps which the John Locke Foundation -- which is largely funded by Pope's foundation -- readily admits were crucial to enabling the GOP to expand its power in the General Assembly.

Money's state-level influence in North Carolina continued in 2012. According to FollowNCMoney.org, a money-tracking website run by the Institute for Southern Studies, more than $14 million from super PACs and other outside groups poured into N.C. state races.

Of the top 10 spending groups in North Carolina -- which made up more than 90 percent of the $14 million total -- seven were Republican-leaning groups, who outspent their Democratic-leaning counterparts by more than a two-to-one margin.

And unlike the national super PACs, conservative spending groups in North Carolina enjoyed a much higher winning percentage: Of the 10 races that attracted the most outside money, nine ended in Republican victories. (As for Pope, he and his operatives are well-represented in the newly-elected GOP governor's transition team.)

I don't understand how Pope can look himself in the mirror and fail to see the depravity of his ways. Isn't that the definition of a sociopath?

Not the vampire part, they do exist. It's the "can't see them in a mirror" thing that's incorrect. I dated one for like six months (I have trouble letting go), and she had mirrors all over the place. Too many mirrors. And not enough books. I don't trust people without books, especially if they also try to suck the life force out of you.

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